Skip to content

pitches

6 Important Writing Reminders From THE SHAPE OF WATER

Right now, diversity is the name of the game in storytelling, so it’s no accident a movie like THE SHAPE OF WATER won ‘Best Picture’ at The Oscars last week. (Whilst Jordan Peele’s GET OUT was technically more ‘deserving’ of the so-called diverse tag, it is still a genre movie … Whereas historically, The Oscars have always been more appreciative of drama movies, even ones with sci fi elements like TSOW). I won’t pretend THE SHAPE OF WATER was my favourite movie of the year because it wasn’t, but there’s still plenty for writers to learn here. Let’s go: 1)… Read More »6 Important Writing Reminders From THE SHAPE OF WATER

Share this:

How Your Concept Can Kill Your Writing DEAD

What’s The Concept? Concept, premise, controlling idea, seed of the story … Whatever you want to call it, you need that THING at foundation level in your story to be clear and compelling, otherwise your story is SUNK. Put simply, if you don’t have a great concept at the foundation of your screenplay or novel? YOU GOT NUTHIN’! Supersadface. It can’t be true … can it?? How Concepts Kill Spec Scripts & Unpublished Novels YES! It is true. The short version: if your concept STINKS? Your pitch won’t work. You will never get off the starter blocks – no one will like… Read More »How Your Concept Can Kill Your Writing DEAD

Share this:

5 Things I Learned From Roland Moore, Showrunner & Screenwriter

At Bang2write today, we have award-winning screenwriter Roland Moore share his top tips about his creative-process, how to pitch and why writing a shit first draft is a GOOD thing! With credits including Smack The Pony, Doctors, Peter Rabbit and the hit Chinese television show Noodle, Roland is also the creator and writer of the BBC1 period drama Land Girls. He has also written audio dramas for the Doctor Who and Survivors ranges. Roland is currently the head writer for Fremantle working on an international TV series, so if YOU plan on writing the next hit show then Roland’s the… Read More »5 Things I Learned From Roland Moore, Showrunner & Screenwriter

Share this:

8 Things I Learned From Editor And Author Phoebe Morgan

We haven’t had an ‘X Things I Learned …’ post for a while, so in response to requests for more on publishing insider info, I reached out to Phoebe Morgan, a commissioning editor at Avon, an imprint of HarperCollins. Phoebe is also the author of The Doll House, which became a #1 iBooks bestseller and spent a whopping 8 weeks in the Kindle top 100. So I think it’s fair to say she knows her stuff, being on both sides of the table! I had a chat with Phoebe over Skype recently, who imparted some really great nuggets of wisdom… Read More »8 Things I Learned From Editor And Author Phoebe Morgan

Share this:

THIS Is The Difference Between Amateur And Pro Writers

Amateur Concepts I’m not a big fan of the notion of ‘the amateur or aspiring writer’, or professionals only being counted if they earn money from their writing. As far as I am concerned, if you write, you are a writer. End of. But every now and again I will see a writer post about their work in progress, asking for feedback for their story/concept. It might be a novel or a screenplay. Hell, it might even be a half-decent pitch in terms of actual layout, language. Probably because of this, my heart will sink even further for them. Why?… Read More »THIS Is The Difference Between Amateur And Pro Writers

Share this:

An Epic Rant On Why You NEED Writing Craft

Rules, Schmules Writing craft gets a bad rap. After all, it’s  just ‘rules’ right?? And rules are made to be broken! NO. A million times, multiplied by infinity crossed with eternity into Dante’s 7 circles of Hell — NO!! Writing craft is NOT about rules. Hell, writing craft is not even about guidelines. These things are non-negotiables and frankly, THE VERY LEAST YOU CAN DO. But do YOU know which parts of craft you’re missing, under-utilising or plain misunderstanding in terms of your writing craft? Do you know what to do about it? Do you understand how thee craft elements… Read More »An Epic Rant On Why You NEED Writing Craft

Share this:

5 Steps To The Perfect Elevator Pitch

Whether you’re writing a TV script, a book or perhaps designing the next must-have app, executing your idea is only the start of a rocky (but enjoyable!) journey. The simple truth is, investors won’t know about your product until they’re told – and you might only get one chance to tell them. It’s for this reason that you have to nail your elevator pitch – the pitch that perfectly sums up your product or idea so succinctly, you could tell an investor all about it during an elevator ride. Here’s what you need to do: 1) Go straight to the… Read More »5 Steps To The Perfect Elevator Pitch

Share this:

7 Simple Things ALL Writers Should Know

Thanks to the internet and the plethora of advice around (like on this blog!), anyone can become a writer. But this doesn’t mean writers’ lives have become easy. Writing still requires dedication, persistence, and hard work! So, whether you’ve just decided to become a writer, or are a seasoned veteran – or somewhere in-between! – then remember these 7 crucial things: 1) The Basics ALWAYS Matter It might be tempting to simply start writing. However, this could be a mistake in the long run. While some writers think typos and grammatical errors are insignificant, readers actually pay attention to these… Read More »7 Simple Things ALL Writers Should Know

Share this:

5 things I Learned From DOC MARTIN Screenwriter Julian Unthank

In a world of Game of Thrones, Big Little Lies & endless choices on Netflix, TV offers far more to the sophisticated audience who in turn EXPECT a certain quality and standard of writers nowadays. Here’s where screenwriter Julian Unthank comes in to help us at Bang2Write. Julian has worked on shows such as ITV’s Doc Martin, The Bill, New Tricks and Robin Hood, plus his short film Love at First Sight starring John Hurt shortlisted for an Oscar in 2011. I was lucky enough to speak with Julian and have him share his top 5 tips on how YOU… Read More »5 things I Learned From DOC MARTIN Screenwriter Julian Unthank

Share this:

3 Things I Learned From Literary Agent Fiona Kenshole

It’s not very often you get to hear it straight from the source EXACTLY what producers, publishers or literary agents are looking for. However, I was lucky enough to sit down recently with Literary Agent Fiona Kenshole who shared more than a few great tips for Bang2writers! Fiona was a guest of InDevelopment, a network of professionals who work in film and TV script development. InDevelopment meets regularly for drinks and discussion about the craft of developing, script editing and producing fiction for the screen and is organised and hosted by script consultant Sarah Olley. Fiona has over twenty years… Read More »3 Things I Learned From Literary Agent Fiona Kenshole

Share this:

How To Build Your Writing Career From Zero

Starting At Zero So you’ve decided to become a writer, but it feels like you’re at zero … You have no idea where to start! It might seem like a difficult to journey to pursue but don’t let the fear of the future scare you out of doing it. Sometimes you just have to cast your net and take a chance! Here are some of the tips I used to build my own writing career from zero … 1) Build your social skills It is known that many writers are introverts and love working by themselves. There is a whole world… Read More »How To Build Your Writing Career From Zero

Share this:

5 (More) Things I Learned Pitching In Hollywood

The ‘X Things I Learned’ series is becoming a REALLY great source of insider and ‘behind the scenes’ info — if you want to share the insights you’ve learned out in the industry; on a course; when you met a famous writer — or something else! – then please do get in touch. Us Bang2writers want to hear all about it! In the meantime, here’s another perspective on pitching in Hollywood for you. If you recall, Tim gave his POV 3-4 of years ago, so here’s KT with her own nuggets of wisdom. Enjoy … Whether you’re pitching in London… Read More »5 (More) Things I Learned Pitching In Hollywood

Share this: